TRP: Gavi and Nico (Lost)
LINA Evening 223, the castle. Nico really just wanted to make sure Ombre was okay. He was worried because her spellbook and staff were still missing, and right away, his mind went to work trying to figure out some solution: he could let her copy his own spellbook, maybe; it would take a long time but might be worth the effort. He could help pay for a new focus for her--he'd just gotten all that money, after all. . She showed him the den she'd made under a table in the castle library, which he liked, but it was hard to relax because he wasn't the only one fretting over her. There was that cleric, Goro. The one who'd healed Nico during the fight before, no questions asked, but who'd kind of made a face while he was doing it. Now Goro would not stop staring at him. Nico kept trying to avoid it. It felt dangerous, somehow, to look at Goro head-on, like looking directly into the sun. He had an unsettling, piercing gaze. "What's your deal, anyway?" Goro asked him after a while--after Nico had said goodbye to Ombre for the evening and was on his way out of the castle. Goro followed him. "My... deal?" "Yeah, you know, what are you after? What game do you think you're playing?" "I just want to make sure Ombre's okay," Nico said. Goro's eyes narrowed. "Magnanimous of you." Nico could have defended himself, but he wasn't sure there was any point. Goro seemed like somebody who just didn't want people trespassing on his property, so Nico thought it would be best if he left as quickly as possible. "Thank you for healing me, before," he said when his hand was on the front door handle. Goro had a cut on his own lip he hadn't bothered to heal. He prodded at it now with his tongue. "You know, at the Church in Skyport, they charge good money for that kinda healing." "Are you asking me to pay you?" Nico reached into his pocket. "I can pay, if that's what the problem is." Goro scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. "Get the fuck outta here." Nico was baffled. Goro didn't even watch to make sure Nico left; he turned and strode off up the stairs. Nico stepped outside, and headed for the woods. He could find a good place to camp for the night. ABBY Gavi was just minding her own business. Yep. She sure was. It was boring as shit. The cave was in good shape, for a cave, she had a good stash of supplies, firewood-- basically had her business in order. She missed having a bunch of unruly orcs to boss around. Sure enough, somebody would have gotten in trouble, and she would have had to step in and manage it. Now she had to go cause her own trouble. Cept now she had a job, and part of that job was not causing trouble in Glimmerton. Boring. As. Shit. So here she was, wandering around the woods instead. Maybe she'd find another bear to fight. Or... a half-elf? Huh. "Hey!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Hey buddy!" There. Her presence announced she jogged over towards him. "Watcha doing out here? Lost or something?" she asked. He kinda had that look. LINA "Um." Nico was badly startled by the half-orc running up to him and yelling, but it didn't seem like she was threatening him, per se. "I'm... not lost, no. Thank you." ABBY "Uh huh," Gavi said skeptically. Skittish too, she noted. "C'mon, I know the way to town. It's not all that far," she said, turning and gesturing for him to follow. Helping dopey half-elves lost in the woods was at least something to do. LINA "That's alright," Nico said. "I'm not headed to town. I'm looking for a place to camp. Is this your land? I can find another area." ABBY Oh huh. Camping. Gavi stopped and turned to size him up again. Yeah. He was gonna freeze to death if she left him alone. "I'm squatting just as much as you, buddy," she said. "C'mon. I got a good set up, you can come stay with me." She threw her arm over the half-elf's shoulders and switched directions, steering him towards the cave. "Fought a bear for it, too. Shoulda seen it, I was badass." LINA "Oh. Um." Nico stumbled in an attempt to keep up with her. "That's... you don't have to do that, really, I'm... uh, what happened to the bear?" ABBY "I killed it," Gavi said, proud of herself. "Hey what's your name anyway?" LINA "Nico." Maybe it had been a small bear. ABBY Nico, huh? Decent enough name. "Gavriella, the Spineripper, of the Sarachet Tribe," Gavi said, thumping her fist to her chest. Now that was a name. "Y'can call me Gavi. Other one's a mouthful." LINA Spineripper? Worrying. She seemed friendly enough, though. "Gavi," Nico said. "Where are we... going, exactly?" ABBY "My cave- didn't I mention that?" Could have sworn she did. Maybe not though. Or maybe this guy was more dopey than she'd initially pegged him for. "Don't worry about it, I'll keep you from freezing to death," she said, patting Nico's back. LINA "Oh. I'm not--" There seemed to have been some miscommunication, here. "I don't... maybe we should go back to town, after all." ABBY Gavi slowed to a stop. Man, this guy. "You always change your mind this much?" she asked. LINA "I just changed my mind one time, I think." ABBY Gavi frowned. That didn't seem right. Except wait- it had been her idea for town in the first place- oh. Huh. "Okay guess you got a point then. Town it is then," she said, switching directions (again) and steering Nico towards town. "Watcha doing wandering around alone in the woods anyway?" LINA "I think I already said. I'm looking for a place to camp." What he would do now was let this woman lead him into town, pretend he was going to stay at an inn and say goodbye to her, and then go find some very different woods to camp in. ABBY "I mean, what are you doing wandering around these woods?" Gavi asked. Dense guy. "Not much around here. Small town, castle, some woods." LINA "Ah. A friend of mine is living in the castle, and I was visiting with her. I'll probably head back to Skyport at some point." Or not. He didn't want Bala to find him again. ABBY "Oh yeah? I got a nephew up there too, Griffin." He was such a good kid, Gavi loved him so much. "I'd be living up there too 'cept I don't think I'm that welcome. Kinda freaked out and broke some fingers." LINA Also worrying. "I don't think I met Griffin," Nico said. "Just... Ombre, and Jasper, and Goro, and Raef and Roddy." They were a very odd group of people, and Nico was afraid to ask exactly how they were all related, if they were related at all. ABBY "Oh yeah. Raef's my nephew's husband. Not exactly sure what to think of him, but he makes Griffin happy. Kinda gives me the creeps though." Made him feel safe, and happy. Gavi sighed softly, feeling a pang again about how Griffin hadn't felt that way back home. LINA "Raef gives you the creeps?" Well, he did seem to be an assassin of some kind. Nico supposed that was reasonable. ABBY "Yeah. Y'know, he's just all quiet and shit. Hard to read." Gavi shuddered slightly. Yeah- change of subject. "Hey you got anyone special?" she asked. "Someone keeping the bed warm for ya?" she grinned, bobbing her eyebrows at him. LINA "No, I don't," Nico said. And to be polite, he added, "Do you?" ABBY "Nah," Gavi said, waving her hand dismissively. "Never been that great at relationships. Too contrary and stuck in my own ways." LINA "Aha," Nico said. "That sounds like my sister. I think the two of you might get along." Well, that, or they'd hate each other. It was always hard to say which way it was going to go with Thea. ABBY "Yeah? Maybe you'll have a chance to introduce us sometime," Gavi said. Or maybe not. She didn't have any plans to go to Skyport, less it was tagging along with Griffin. "Though in my experience putting two stubborn as shit folks in the same room ain't always the best way to make friends," she said dryly. LINA "I guess not," Nico agreed. "Unless you happen to align, perfectly, on whatever you're stubborn about." ABBY "Mhm, and see, half the fun of being stubborn is getting into scraps over whatever it is." Gavi grinned- now she wanted a fight. Too bad Nico was so scrawny. "Or for me anyway. Y'look like a strong breeze could knock you over," she said critically, shoving him lightly. LINA Nico was surprised by the shove, but managed to keep his footing. "Usually when Thea gets to that point, I give up and stop talking to her." ABBY Gavi snorted in amusement. Who let this guy wander around on his own anyway. "Y'know, one time someone tried that on me and I punched him in the face," Gavi said. "Course he was also a jackass and I was looking for an excuse." LINA "You... you punched someone in the face for not talking to you?" ABBY "Eeeeh," Gavi rocked her hand back and forth. "It was more a final straw sort of deal. First he blows our ambush, then he doesn't actually kill anybody, then blames someone else, then he tries to walk off cause I'm too emotional. So yeah I punched him." LINA "I see." Nico felt some relief at seeing the lights of the town up ahead. "So, uh, there's an inn there that I can stay at?" ABBY "Yep," Gavi said. Thought about giving directions- but nah better make sure he got there. Once at the doors to the in she gave him a friendly backslap. "There you go buddy. Don't get lost now," she teased, then turned to amble off to her home away from home. Quiet guy. All right though. For a half-elf. LINA "Thanks," he called as she wandered away. Slightly relieved she was leaving at all, and hadn't stood there watching him pay for the room--although now that he was inside, he had to admit a real bed with a mattress sounded nice. A very odd lady. Nicer than he'd expected, though. end Title: Lost. Summary: Nico is not lost in the woods. Gavi helps him find civilization anyway. Category:Text Roleplay